HMS ZULU’S WASP INCIDENT 1978
BY PETE PRESCOTT
How did it happen?
It was caused by a bowl of custard.
Graham Jackson and I had just returned from a sortie, it was during the evening meal about 1800. The flight decided to put the cab away in a bit of a hurry, those crewman that remember the Tribal class frigates will know the system of carrying the large heavy covers that fitted over the top of the cab once it had been lowered down on the lift.
Once this was done we all went for our meal. Halfway through the meal there was the dreaded FIRE! FIRE! FIRE! Fire in the hanger fire and emergency party muster at the hanger, Flight personnel to the hanger at the rush.
I arrived to see the wasp trying to squeeze through the hanger covers and
the covers breaking free from the clips, there were large amounts of smoke
pouring out of the hanger, as the lift motors were burning out while trying
to raise the wasp with the covers still in place.
Once the power was isolated and the fire extinguished the panic was over
and we were left with a Wasp helicopter a little shorter then it was 30 minutes
earlier.
So what happened?
For safety reasons there were 2 push button switches that had to be pressed at the same time to allow the lift to go up or down warning bells sounded during this process, there is also a main isolation switch that was off and locked when the cab was stowed.
During the rush to go for dinner the main isolation switch was left live, no problem as it takes 2 people to press the buttons to rise and lower the lift.
Meanwhile a chef in the galley tipped a big pot of custard down the back of the range causing a power surge that melted the contacts in the 2 switches in the hanger activating the lift motors; this would not have happened if the main switch had been in the off position.
So Zulu flight became known as Pigmy flight, we had to go without an aircraft for 3 weeks. Wasp helicopter 442 was a written off.
Classic comment from the young sailor carrying out his watch while patrolling the
quarter deck.
He rang the bridge saying to the officer of the watch “The bells are ringing
the budgie is trying to escape and the hangers on fire”.
This is a true story as the subsequent inquiry proved. As you can see from the photo’s it made a right mess of the cab.
A picture of one of my AS12 misiles about to hit a splash target, also who is that young aircrewman?
Regards
Pete Prescott
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Note: from StephenWilliams
Yes it is all true and I was the man who rang the bridge with the comments
as stated.
I was an REM at the time and Pete had his bunk below mine, small world! I
remember the QM said to me 'you better say that to the Captain' and passed
the phone over, on hearing my news the captain dropped the phone!